


Land Of The Golden Cities

by Moonlitgems



Series: Moon's Ermin week 2016 [3]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Aztec culture, Aztec!armin, Brief/implied sexual assault, Language Barrier, M/M, Sailor!eren, brief mentions of violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 08:25:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6975391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlitgems/pseuds/Moonlitgems
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The new world was full of promise, danger, and gold. That was enough for Eren Jaeger to jump at the chance of experiencing it for himself. He just didn't expect to meet a strange Golden Boy to go along with it all.</p><p>(DAY 4: Historical/medieval)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Land Of The Golden Cities

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! DAY 4: Historical/medieval today!  
> I wasn't sure what time period to choose or if it had to be medieval, since the slash usually means 'or' so I went with a secret pleasure of mine; The Aztecs and the Spanish conquest.  
> I'm a bit rusty on the Aztec culture but I hope that t story makes up for it! Enjoy day 4, guys!

He was just a shipsman, hired to help sail the ships that would lead them to the Golden City. A city made out of gold, just the thought made his skin itch with anticipation. He may have just been hired help but that didn't mean he couldn't partake.

The new world would be even more exciting than his first time on the ocean. In explored and filled with savages. It made his entire body tingle with anticipation. 

Nothing sounded better to Eren Jaeger, a man who dreamed of seeing the new world. Sure, the trip was long and the men he served were less than hospitable toward him. And for a brief moment he was sure they'd fall off of the edge of the earth, the moment he lost site of land, but it all was worth it now.

He'd comeback to Spain a little richer. The money would help him and his 'sister' live a little better. That's what mattered.

"Land, hoh!"

"We're here!" Eren shouted, leaning over the bow to see the familiar site of land. The excitement died him as he set to work preparing the ship for docking.

The closer they got the better Eren could see it. A beautiful city stood before them on the shore. It may not have been made of gold but the beauty of the craftmenship blew him away.

Once the ship was docked they began deciding who would go to shore and who would stay on the ship. The drawl of luck was on his side as he got to be one of the few but when he found he was going to be the one rowing he was more than disappointed.

"That tribal woman's there again." The man beside him muttered his eyes focused on the bare skin of the native female, who stood on the shore with the group of men.

"Don't forget we're here for gold, not a pair of breasts." Another soldier spit out causing Eren to nod in agreement.

"Nothing wrong with taking what they give us." The first man said with a laugh. "We are their Gods." He gestured to his crewmates who simply smirked at his words.  "Right, Jaeger?" He put Eren on the spot, w knew it was because he didn't react to his words.

"A filthy pig is what you are." Eren said shocking the other and getting howls of laughter from their shipmates.

"Right, I forgot you like your woman Asian, like that woman from your last trip." He could only roll his eyes at that comment. He had no intrest in women at all.

The only woman that had been in his life since his late mother was his 'sister', who was a stubborn woman of Asian decent. It was annoying being forced to recall the woman.

She had all but followed him, appearing at his door in Spain, still adorned in her flattering, but scandalous, dress she called a 'Kimono'. It was a wonder how she'd survived In such a fancy silk fabric but he knew she was strong.

"She is a beauty though. Those robes she wears make you just wanna rip them off her." The man almost purred as he imagined Eren's sister.

"She'd disembowel you before you could even touch her obi." Eren retorted coolly, fighting the urge to punch the bastard. Blood or not that guy was still talking about his family.

"The priests have come to welcome us again, too." One of the men murmured beside him changing the topic of conversation. Eren pulled his eyes forward and observed the savages on the shore. 

They were all dressed the same, barely clothed, like the heathens they were. Their bodies painted with vibrant reds blues and black, but one man caught his attention.

He stood in the center beside the priestess they'd spoken about and looked almost identical to her, but his hair was shorter and his features much more masculine than her softer ones. There eyes met and Eren was blown away by their sea-like beauty.

It sent chills down his spine as he pulled the silken red scarf, his sister gave him, tighter around his neck. The color was beautiful, yes, but there was something unsettlingly human in that savage's eyes. In all of their eyes. He was expecting something much different.

The blond in the center spoke in a language Eren couldn't begin to understand. There was a brief exchange between the man and the ship's captain before the native turned to look at Eren again. He spoke calmly but his eyes seemed to sparkle as he stepped in front of Eren.

"He's asking who you are." One of the soldier whispered harshly nudging Eren forward.

"Um, hi, I'm, Eren." He said, saying each word slowly to the blond man, who was staring at him. 

"Citali....Armin." The man simply smiled at Eren and said some weird words he didn't understand.

"He's giving you his name and the name we've been calling him." The soldiers whispered nudging Eren again to speak to the blond.

"Nice to meet you, um, Armin." That seemed to satisfy the man because he said something to the other natives and they started ushering him and the other soldiers to the king's home.

There they feasted and enjoyed the luxuries that were provided. Eren ate but he didn't partake in the plundering. Instead he Sat  on the landing and sketched images of the city till he could no longer see them. Clearly, aware that there were eyes on him. Whose eyes they were, well, he was sure it was the same ones that belonged to Citali or Armin, as his shipmates called him.

The man hadn't taken his eyes off of Eren since their meeting on the shore. It made him curious but at the same time afraid. Just what could that uncivilized being want with him. He Sat there staring at the sketch he'd drawn if the city, wondering about the native man.

A voice called out to him, the language was the same foreign one that was all around them. He did not wish to converse or interact like his companions did, but out of instinct or maybe social qualms he turned his gaze up to Armin.

"Oh, hey, um," He was at a loss, he wanted to say Armin's name but he couldn't remember it.

"Um," Armin mimicked like it was a word, his eyes full of curiousty and child-like innocence.

"I forgot your name."

"Name," He said as though he were thinking of what the word meant. After a moment his eyes widened and a smile spread across his face. "Citali..."

"Citali, what does that even mean?" Armin lifted his arm upwards, pointing at the star filled sky, as though to answer Eren's question.

"Sky?" He said scrunching his nose up, but he supposed it was better than the name he'd been so rudely given. 

"Name, Eren." He said pointing at Eren who nodded in confirmation. Armin seemed to bounce slightly, as though he were waiting for something. Eren quickly realized that he wanted to know what Eren's name meant.

"Eren means," He wasn't sure, he'd never acquired that knowledge. Armin on the other hand seemed to grow tired of waiting and made up his own meaning.

"Xiuhpilli!" He shouted as though the excitement was too much for him.

"Sure. Whatever that means." Eren said giving Armin a small smile. The man simply sat down beside Eren blathering on in his language, like he'd forgotten Eren did not know it.

Despite not knowing what was going on, Eren found himself enamoured and attracted to the expressions on Armin's face and the way the blond flailed his arm's about to make a point. It was amusing but not in a rude way. To Eren, it was like watching a pretty  animal dance. It was to be admired not laughed at.

The evening drew onward and they all prepared to head back to the ship. On the way Eren felt a strong presence beside him. His captain, Levi Ackerman walked up beside him, keeping up with Eren's pace despite being a good two head's shorter.

"You did good, brat." He praised calmly, without a hint of emotion in it.

"What do you mean, sir?" Eren was confused, he hadn't done anything that deserved praise, especially praise from the ever so stoic, Captain Levi.

"You've gotten on the prince's good side. No one has been able to get on his good side." His captain said, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

"That was these people's Prince!" Eren stated in pure disbelief. His captain merely nodded with a slight huff and continued onward like he'd never stopped to talk to Eren.

Eren on the other hand was in disbelief. He'd sat there and listened to the guy talk for hours but not once did anyone stop to talk to him or show him respect. He would have never guessed that this boy was a 'Prince'.

Later that night, Eren decided to explore the town, despite being told to return to the ship after dark, to forget his worries about Prince Citali. The world he didn't know of called out to him like a seductive mistress anyway. He couldn't help but slip away and admire the world of the savages.

As he walked down a beaten path, where many were travelling he noticed a beautiful bird. It captivated him with it's beauty as it's teal feathers shined in the light of the torches. He quickly pulled out his sketch book and began to draw. He'd gotten the basic outline and shading in before a hand pulled him to his feet causing him to drop his book and pencil.

"Hey!" He shouted only to see it was a woman from the city. She spoke to him with quick nonsensical words. "I don't understand you." He said kneeling to pick up his book but she tried to pull him back up . "Let go!"

"Coatl..." The woman had said pointing toward the bird causing Eren to turn his head as a snake leap out of a bush in front of him to capture the bird.

The snake's size alone was enough to change his tune but the fact that the villiager had been warning him about the snake made it worse. He felt foolish for becoming angry and lowered his head. The villiager simply walked on after Eren bowed his head no longer interested in what was going on.

Eren was in shock by the site of the bird being devoured but he wasn't going to try and stop the snake. Instead, he continued on through the city. That was until he stopped at a stone table surrounded by skulls, which sat at the bottom of a structure that was probably a temple of some sort. It was creepy enough just to look at but the scream he heard from the temple above made it three times worse.

He quickly turned his gaze to the temple, his heart thumping with a rush of adreniline, to see the woman that'd greeted them on the shore run past him. Her attire torn and tears streaking her pretty face.

"They didn't..." He growled recalling his fellow ship mates words. as she saw him, she latched on to the silver plate of his armor.

She spoke so fast in her language with a pleading voice that he knew something to do with him and he thought that he heart the name Citali. He just couldn't tell what exactly she was trying to say. She just kept talking and tugging at his arm. He nodded, understand that she wanted him to go up stairs, so he ran up them three steps at a time.

When he reached the top he heard the sound of a scuffle and screaming. He quickly raced in to the building ignoring how terrifying it looked.

He rushed in to the room to see a shocking site. Two men were holding down Armin, who was struggling to get away. There were petrified tears running down the blond's cheeks as he struggled against the hand that was trying to remove his clothes.

At the site of this Eren saw red. It reminded him of things he'd seen in the past. The horror his mother  had been put through. It pissed him off.

And the next thing he knew he was standing there covered in the blood of his enemies; the rage within him subsiding. It wasn't until he caught the sound of a choked sob did he realize what he had done. He had killed those men in front if Armin.

"Are you okay, Armin...Citali?" He asked, wincing at the large gash that was on his arm.

The man said something in his language, sounding frightened and out of breath. The two words he did catch were 'Huitzilopochtli' and 'Totec'.

He'd heard it from some of the citizens. When he'd asked the Captain about it the shrewd man simply said it was one of their 'Gods' and left it at that.

"Did they hurt you?" He spoke trying to find out if those savages had harmed the prince.

The man simply lowered his head speak in a low tone as though he were talking to himself. Or maybe he was praying. He was obviously not going to get an answer so Eren gave the man a glance over.

He was covered in bruises and scrapes. He looked so pitiful practically lying there with his tunic hanging loosely on his hips. Eren didn't like it, so pulled out his handkerchief in hopes to show the man that he meant no harm.

"You're hurt." He whispered when Armin jerked away from him. His eyes flashing in warning before a look of recognition appeared in his gaze. Eren hoped the man realized who he was as he wiped the tears from his bruised face.

"Hurt?" He heard the man say sounding like he knew that word. He then reached out and touched Eren's injured arm. "Hurt." He spoke again, trailing his cold fingers down the trail of blood.

"Yeah," Eren said weakly as the man sprung to his feet and ran down the steps of the temple. Stopping just long enough to fix his clothes so he wouldn't lose them.

Eren was unsure as to what to do and his arm ached from the injury he'd sustained, so he stayed there and looked at the mess he'd made. 

He felt that he desecrated a sacred place. The blood stained the curtain, where a wood statue stood. Eren studied the statue, bathed in gold and jewels. The blood on the curtain made gave the beautiful statue a eerie aura. 

His eyes travelled over the statue, then to he corpses, and finally rested on the tourquoise colored spear that was stained red. He'd just grabbed the closest weapon he could find and for all he knew he stopped a right of passage of some sorts.

How ironic. He thought. A civilized man killing another being with such an uncivilized weapon. He wanted to laugh but he didn't. It wasn't the time or the place for laughter. 

" Huitzilopochtli..." Armin's voice called, adding other words he did not know, as he walked toward Eren holding some strange plants.

"Wait, are you calling me huita-uh, I thought I was xilah-" He couldn't pronounce the names but the man didn't seem bothered by it. He simply walked to Eren and knelt beside him.

At a loss for what was going on, Eren could only watch as the man slipped the plant in his mouth and began to  chew it up. He the slipped it back out onto his finger. It was disgusting and when the man reached out to touch him Eren jerked away out of sheer reflex.

"Hurt...heal." He said before grabbing Eren's arm and putting it on the wound that still was bleeding, much to Eren's disgust.

To Eren's surprise the goop slowed the bleed to a stop and the pain he'd been feeling subsided. All that was left was a numb tingling sensation.

That was when Eren realized that he wasn't dealing with a stupid, uncivilized person. Armin knew that the wound was bad and that these herbs would help. He even knew to wrap the wound. A savage wouldn't know how to do that.

While Armin wrapped his arm he actually took a look at the man. And found Armin was very beautiful. Long thin limbs, tanned from being exposed to the tropical climate. His body was thin but lean with muscle under the skin. His lips lookwled soft and his face,while being obviously male, had a softness to that made him attractive.

"Thank you." Eren replied running his finger down the blond's cheek, watching the other's face flush as a shudder shook his shoulders. When Eren with drew his hand Armin pressed himself against Eren's chest.

Armin's eyes fell closed and his body relaxed against Eren, like he completely trusted Eren. It was a surprise that Eren wasn't expecting. Unsure on how to respond, he slowly pushed Armin away and stood.

Obviously confused by Eren's action, he stood too, reaching out and taking Eren's hand. He spoke more words Eren didn't understand but they were soft and sweet sounding. It made his chest ache and there was a sudden urge to kiss those pale pink lips burning inside him. It struck Eren like a bullet through his chest as he stared at the other.

He wanted the blond, but had strong enough morals not to take him. It was then the blond moved forward to press his lips to Eren's. It was like he saw Eren's sudden desire and was giving him permission to commit the very act he'd stopped.

"I don't understand you." He told Armin after their lips had parted.

He wanted to. To be able to understand this person and their words would help him understand this strange feeling he was having, just from a single kiss.

It was then he heard shouting and armed savages stormed into the temple. Armin quickly moved in front of Eren saying words in a commanding voice and a small group of men retreated and marched out of the temple. The rest went and began to dismember the corpses.

Eren watched in horror as they took the dismembered torsos and threw them out of the entrance and down the stairs. It almost made him forget the human beside him. He was sure he would have, if not for the warm hand in his.

Armin pulled him out of the temple, leading  back to his home. They stayed quiet during their brief walk and once they we're in the palace, safely tucked away in a mass of blankets and pillows on the floor did Eren decide to relax.

Armin was pressed against his side, like a puzzle piece and seemed completely content to stay there despite the heat of the night. Eren still didn't know who those men were or if he'd done something bad but the way Armin was laying beside him, looking content, he felt he wasn't going to be punished for it.

They stayed there for what seemed like an hour, growing sleepy as time went on, until the priestess entered the room. She called out to Armin, who was forced to peal himself away from Eren. 

The two spoke and there low murmurs lulled him further into sleep. When Armin returned cracked an eye open to see the blond held a single golden challes. He sat down beside Eren, his stormy eyes focused souly on him, ignoring the woman who watched them. It caused Eren to sit up, curiousty washing over his sleepy mind.

"Drink." Armin said softly passing him the cup with a warm smile. He took it and  looked at the red liquid skeptically, but in the moment, he decided to trust the Prince who was showing no sign of aggression towards him. 

Putting the cup to his lips, Eren took a large sip if the contents of the cup. It had a strange but familiar taste to it but he couldn't place what it was. The coppery-like taste that lingered on his tongue made him curious as to what kind of fruiting had come from or if the cup was really was made of gold.

He held the cup out to Armin who took it and held it out to the priestess. She took the cup with a smile and left the room. Once she was gone Armin was once again glued to his side. Staring up at him with those pretty eyes.

" Xiuhpilli...." Armin whispered the name to Eren as he kissed Eren's lips.

At that moment, Eren didn't mind being worshipped as a God, as long as this beautiful native prince was the one that worshipped him.

**Author's Note:**

> Translation notes:  
> Citali: star
> 
> When Eren asked what Armin's name was he pointed to the night sky. Eren thought he meant the sky in general but he was actually point at t stars.
> 
> Coatl: snake
> 
> Huitzilopochtli: hummingbird on the left
> 
> This is One of the Aztec deities. It is one. The main one's from their beliefs. He is the God of the Sun and the God of war. Armin is basically calling Eren their Sun God or at the very least a descendant since there's little dialogue it's open to interpretation. There's a reason for me choosing this God, but there's not enough space to explain.
> 
> Totec: Our Lord
> 
> Another name for Huitzilopochtli
> 
> Xiuhpilli: turquoise prince
> 
> The name Armin originally calls Eren. It is also another name for Huitzilopochtli but it's open interpretation on whether he was calling Eren a God or referri to Eren's ever changing eyes.
> 
> Eren: saint
> 
> Just throwing this in here cause it's amusing. Eren means saint and Armin called him 'Xiuhpilli' which is another name for Huitzilopochtli one their patron deities, so technical Armin was right? I'll let you guys judge that.


End file.
